Still Breathing
by frenchienumber3
Summary: Carter had to leave town after the incident. Her dad made a call out to his old friend Sig, and asked him for a favor. Now she's stuck on the Northwestern as their new greenhorn, and her feelings for a certain deck boss keep growing. DEADLIEST CATCH!
1. Chapter 1

**Still Breathing**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything :( **

So here is the first chapter of a new story! It's centered on the Northwestern again. I think that has now officially turned into my new favorite boat!! I enjoy it very much! xD haha

So Read and REVIEW!!! xD haha it would be pretty awesome! Haha

* * *

**Chapter One**

"I'm still confused." Edgar said, challenging his brother who was standing on the docks with him.

"About what?" Sig asked, annoyed that they were still having this conversation, "It's not that hard to understand." Edgar rolled his eyes,

"I understand you hired a girl, but WHY?" Edgar asked. "What happened to no chicks on a the boat, dude?" Sig glanced at him.

"It's more of a favor than it is anything else." Edgar frowned.

"Favor?" Sig nodded,

"Yep. You remember Chet? One of dad's friends?" Edgar nodded. "Well his youngest daughter is in a bit of a situation. He asked if we could take her out with us."

"And naturally you said yes. Any way to remember the old man." Sig glared at Edgar,

"I did it because it's what dad would have done; because it's right." Edgar shook his head,

"Can she even work?"

"Of course she can." Sig said, "I would have said no if she couldn't." Edgar agreed to that one. Sig was tough when it came down to the people who worked for him. Edgar sighed,

"How old is she?" Sig shrugged,

"24, 25…26? I don't know." Edgar rolled his eyes,

"Well aren't you just prepared." He said sarcastically. Sig glared at him but didn't say a word.

"She'll be here any minute Edgar, just TRY to make her feel welcome?" Edgars features softened.

"Fine, but she doesn't get any special treatment." He said.

* * *

Three hours later, Carter stepped down on the docks, glancing around at all the boats that were tied down in port. She took a breath. It had been a long couple of months for her. She was tired and scared, but her dad told her that everything would be okay out here. She trusted him more than anything in the world, but not even he could make her feel better anymore. She shook her head, clearing out all her thoughts. She needed to concentrate. Thinking back to past events wasn't going to help her forget about them. She needed to get to the Northwestern and she needed to move on. It was as simple as that.

She walked down the docks slowly, trying to waste time. She was a shy girl and she didn't like to meet new people, and after everything, it had just seemed to get worse. To her right, she saw a big blue boat with 'Cornelia Marie' painted on the side in yellow. She had heard her dad talk about them once or twice. He said that they were one of the best boats out there. But when her dad began talking about crab fishing and stuff, Carter tended to tune it out. She continued walking, picking up the pace a little, not wanting to be late. It took her a few moments, but she eventually found herself standing next to the giant boat. It made her feel smaller than she already was, standing at 5'1". Something about it made her hesitate. She took the whole thing in. The blue paint, the pots stacked high on the deck…the man that was stareing up at her. She looked back, a little afraid to speak up. The man did for her.

"Can I help you?" he asked. Carter nodded slowly,

"umm…I'm here to, um, speak with Sig?" she said. It sounded more like a question. The man nodded,

"Well, come on up then. He's up in the wheelhouse." Carter didn't make any movement, she just stared at the railing. The man chuckled and offered the girl his hand, but she shook her head and hesitantly grabbed the rail. The man raised his eyebrow, but got prepared to help her incase she failed and needed help. But to his surprise, the girl gracefully jumped down next to him. He looked at her curiously, making Carter feel even more nervous under his gaze.

"Well, I guess I'll take you on up to Sig then." He said. Carter nodded her thanks and followed the man at a safe distance. He led her through a door that led into a closed off area, then through another door that led into the galley. He walked up the stairs and Carter continued to follow. But the closer they drew near to the captain, the more nervous she felt.

"Hey Sig, I've got a girl for you." The man said when they emerged from the staircase. A man sitting in a chair looked away from the guy standing behind him and looked over in their direction. He smiled,

"Thanks Matt." The man next to her, who she now knew as Matt, nodded, then walked back down the stairs, leaving her alone with the two men.

"You must be Carter." The man in the chair said. Carter nodded, and the man who was standing up rolled his eyes. "My name is Sig Hansen, and this is my brother Edgar." He said. Carter smiled nicely,

"Hello." She said quietly.

"Hey look! She speaks." Edgar said. Sig shot his brother a look before turning back to Carter,

"So how does it feel to be back on a crab boat?" he asked. Edgar laughed,

"Back? This looks like her first time even SEEING one." He exclaimed.

"Edgar." Sig said, giving him a warning look. Carter took a deep breath,

"It's not so bad, it's nothing I can't get used to." She said. Edgar raised an eyebrow,

"How is it different? It isn't pink like your old Barbie boat?" he asked. Sig was about to speak, but Carter beat him to it.

"Well, for starters, you have a front wheelhouse instead of it being in the back. I'm sure that makes it very difficult for Sig to look after the crew." Sig smiled as the girl made Edgar feel like an idiot.

"It's good to have you here Carter." He said. Carter nodded back shyly.

"How old are you." Edgar asked weakly. Sig glanced at him, but kept silent. Carter smiled slightly,

"I'm 24." She said. Sig looked at Edgar,

"See, I told you." Edgar rolled his eyes. Sig laughed,

"Well, Edgar here will show you where to put your stuff and then explain to you what your job will be on the crab grounds, while I work on getting us out of here." Carter nodded and watched as Edgar walked towards her. He didn't look like he wanted to help her at all, in fact, he looked like he'd rather be anywhere else but here. But Carter swallowed her fear and followed him downstairs. He opened a door to the far right of him,

"We don't have a lot of room on this boat these days, so unfortunately, you have to stay with me and Matt." He said, sounding extremely annoyed. Carter looked at him nervously,

"What?" he asked. "You afraid we're gonna mess with you in your sleep, or something?" he asked sarcastically. Carter quickly looked down, finding something on the floor to stare at. Edgar looked at her like she was crazy,

"We won't. We don't have time for that kind of crap out there." Carter didn't look up. Edgar rolled his eyes. "Just put your stuff under that bunk and get out on deck, you have a lot to learn before we get to the grounds." Carter watched as he walked away.

She breathed a deep sigh and dropped her backpack on her bed. She hadn't brought much, just a couple of sweatshirts, sweatpants, and t-shirts. She hadn't really known what to bring. All her dad told her was that she didn't need to bring rain gear because Sig had gotten some for her already. She hoped that he hadn't forgotten.

She rubbed her forehead and took a deep breath, trying to relieve some of the pressure in her brain. She figured she better get out there. She didn't want to make him any more angry then he already seemed to be.

* * *

Walking out onto the deck, Carter squinted at the change of light. She looked around her and noticed all the clouds that had formed in the sky. She frowned, but didn't think about it as she looked for Edgar. She spotted him standing at the side railing, leaning forward as the boat slowly pulled away from the dock and made its way to the edge of the harbor. She quietly walked up to him,

"Hey." She said softly. He looked over at her, slightly annoyed.

"You ready to learn?" he asked. She nodded as she followed him over to the bait area.

"This," Edgar said, pointing, "Is your station. Just think of it as your new home. Love it." He said. Carter nodded. "Now, you probably don't know what your supposed to do at all, huh?" he asked. Carter shook her head,

"No, I know what I have to do." She said. Edgar snorted,

"Really? Well go ahead and tell me, bait genious." Carter looked down nervously, but then looked back up, an almost angry look on her face.

"Two cod, you slice them a couple times, then you hook 'em. Then I fill the bag with as much of this chopped fish as it can hold. Then I'm guessing I also have to 'hustle' and put those in the pot. Then I run all the way back here, and repeat the entire process over again. Kind of like a shampoo bottle says. Is that a good enough discription?" she asked softly, even though she felt like she wanted to scream at him. Edgar smirked,

"That's all I wanted. I just wanted to hear you defend yourself. Now you can be our greenhorn." He said as he walked over to one of the pots, re-tightening some of the knots. Carter looked down at the deck boards bitting her lip and sighing softly.

Edgar turned back around and looked at her. She was still wearing the grey skinny jeans with the deck boots pulled over them, and a blue sweatshirt that he recognized as an old Northwestern sweatshirt from when his dad had been captain of the boat. He turned completely around and walked over to her, standing right in front of her.

"Where did you get this?" he asked grabbing her arm lightly and lifting it up. Carter gasped and jerked her arm away, her eyes wide. Edgar frowned,

"Hey…what…" but he didn't get to finish. Carter whirled around and ran back inside, leaving Edgar standing on the deck, slightly confused. 'What just happened?' he thought.

* * *

End of chapter one! :) I hope you guys like this one, because I really like the idea that I have for it and I really wanna continue it!

But PLEASE let me know what you think! I really want to know what you think about it! And if you have any suggestions or anything, just feel free to let me know! The more feedback, the better!

PLEASE REVIEW! And make me happy!!! Haha XD


	2. Chapter 2

**Still Breathing**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for Carter xD haha**

So this is the next chapter of this story :) Thank you so much for all the feedback I've gotten so far! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter too, cause I'm really kind of nervous about this story and I don't know if you guys will like it or not :/ so let me know after you read it!!!!!!! REVIEW!!!!!

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Carter stumbled into the stateroom and slammed the door. She took quick heavy breaths and ran her long blonde hair that fell down past the middle of her back. Memories that she had done her best to get rid of were suddenly flooding into her head and she couldn't stop them. She leaned against the door and slid slowly to the floor, pulling her knees as close to her chest as she could possibly get them. She took slow deep breaths, trying to calm herself down and pull it together.

"Hey! Open the door!" Edgar yelled, pounding on the door that she was leaning against.

"Leave me alone!" Carter pleaded; as she leaned against the door harder, hoping that he wouldn't push and he's just go away. But of course, he didn't. Edgar leaned against the door and pushed as hard as he could. Carter tried even harder, but within minutes, Edgar was in the room, looking down at her with anger written on his face.

"God, you know, this is my room too." He said. Carter eyes were starting to tear up, and Edgar saw the panic spread across her face. He began to slowly walk closer to her, but Carter began to scoot back, using her feet to push herself across the floor and away from him. Edgar was taken aback, but he kept advancing, concern showing deep in his eyes. He didn't even know the first thing about this girl, but something about the way he was seeing her now hurt him.

"What is wrong with you?" he asked as he bent down and grabbed her gently by the arms, pulling her up so she was standing again. Carter tried pulling away from him,

"Stop! Let me go! Please!" she exclaimed weakly. Edgar tried pulling her closer to him, but her hands, which had now curled into fists, reached up, hitting him in the chest. "Don't touch me!" she yelled, hitting him harder and harder. But no matter how hard she hit him, Edgar didn't let her go. He kept pulling her until he had pulled her all the way in, her head against his chest. He wrapped one arm around her waist and the other hand went to her head. He didn't say anything as Carter broke down, her hands gripping his t-shirt.

"What the hell is going on down here!" Sig shouted as he appeared in the doorway of the stateroom. Edgar shook his head and motioned for him to let it go and walk away. Sig gave him an exasperated look, but slowly walked away.

Edgar pulled Carter away from him and gently pushed her down on her bunk. She reached up and quickly wiped her eyes, embarrassed to have lost her cool in front on him, of all people. He looked at her softly, but then, as if he realized what he was doing, he looked away and rubbed his chin.

"It's going to be a rough couple of days for you, so I'd get some sleep before we get to the fishing grounds. You're gonna need it." Carter sniffed as she watched Edgar walk out of the room and close the door behind him. She leaned back in her bed, and slowly kicked off her boots with a little difficulty. She felt her head hit the pillow and she instantly felt how tired she was. Weeks of little sleep had finally caught up to her. She closed her eyes and cleared her thoughts, and slowly, she fell asleep.

* * *

Edgar stood at the counter, pouring himself a cup of coffee. His head wasn't really making any rational thought right now. All he could think about was the girl that was currently in his stateroom. All he wanted to know was why she was so jumpy, and why she had freaked out when he touched her. Matt walked up to him and smiled,

"So what's up with the chick? I mean, I heard that she was our new greenhorn, which is weird, if I may say so, but I mean, why is she so psycho?" he asked. Edgar glanced at him and shrugged.

"I don't know, and I don't think she's psycho." He said. "Just…go easy on her for the next couple of days." He said. Matt raised his eyebrow,

"Go easy on her…this coming from the guy that pushes everyone's buttons until they want to kill you." Matt said, finding all of it hard to believe. Edgar looked at him with a pleading look,

"Just drop it Matt. Something's wrong, something is bothering her and she's scared of me." He said. Matt pointed at him,

"That's what you LIKE! You LIKE when people are scared of you." Matt exclaimed. Edgar straightened up and gave Matt a look, letting him know that he was done talking about this.

"Look Matt, I don't know why it's different with her, but that look that she gave me…I don't know, but something happened to her, and she's afraid, and I don't know why…but I don't want to make it any worse for her." Matt shook his head,

"Whatever man." He said as he walked away from him, probably up to the wheelhouse to talk to Sig.

Edgar sat down at the table, then leaned down so that he was lying on the bench, looking up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes and soon, began to drift asleep to the sound of the water rushing quietly around them.

* * *

Edgar's eyes opened slowly. It was dark in the galley now, which meant they were probably close to the fishing grounds. He was slightly shocked that he had slept that long anyway. He wondered if everyone else was asleep. He sat up and rubbed his head with his hands; yawning. He stretched and was about to get up, but he heard a faint noise, and he couldn't quite place it.

"No…stop…Jack, no…go away…please…stop…Jack…"

The whimpering stopped, but Edgar got up anyway and walked towards his stateroom. He opened the door quietly. Carter was silently sleeping, but it looked anything but peaceful. She was frowning, and she kept turning her head and her shoulders.

"Stop…" she said again. Edgar walked closer to her, he didn't want to startle her, but he didn't want her to be caught in the nightmare. He sat at the edge of her bad and lightly placed a hand on her shoulder. Carter jerked awake and sat up, nearly hitting Edgar in the process.

"I'm sorry!" she said. Edgar shook his head,

"No…no…it's almost time to work…so…" Edgar got up to leave but Carter reached out and grabbed his arm. He looked back at her. She hesitated, and opened her mouth a couple times, but she finally got it out,

"You're dad." She said. Edgar looked at her questioningly. "The sweatshirt…I got it from your dad." Edgar nodded his head letting her know he understood

"Well…you should probably get ready." He said. Carter nodded, and Edgar walked away yet again, gently closing the door behind him.

* * *

Sorry it's kinda short, the next one is going to be longer though, i promise!

Well that was it...i don't know if you guys are going to like....it's kinda different for me....

So PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!Tell me what you think so that I know i should continue the story!

I would love you alot if you diiiiiid!!!! xD

Thanks for reading it though! and thanks to those who have reviewed already!!!!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Still Breathing**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing…**

Sorry it's been a while since I updated! I hope you guys like this next chapter though! :)

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Carter stood in the small hallway and slipped on the rain gear that Sig had handed her. He looked at her expectantly,

"So? Are they good?" Carter nodded. Sig smiled and turned away facing Edgar, lowering his voice,

"Keep an eye on her." Edgar frowned,

"I though you said she could work." He said. Sig waved it off,

"Oh, she can, she just might be a little rusty. Her dad also said that she's usually sea sick for the first couple of days." Edgar nodded, bending down to fix the boot he had put on just moments before. He understood that one. Sig patted him on the back then walked back up to the wheelhouse. Edgar glanced at him, but straightened back up,

"Alright guys…and Carter…lets get out there and make some money." He said, motioning for everyone to go through the door.

Once out on deck, Carter went straight to the bait area and started prepping them. Edgar watched curiously as she did everything like a pro. Unpacking the boxes, throwing the block of frozen fish in the grinder, holding her arm over the opening and scooping the pieces into the bait bags. Matt came up quietly beside him,

"Did we just inherit a greenhorn from God or something? Cause I swear, I think we did." Edgar shook his head,

"She's done this before, its not her first time." He said. Matt shrugged,

"I still say she's from God." He mumbled, still staring at her. Edgar snapped them out of their thoughts,

"Okay guys, we need to start. Matt, Nick and Norman are up on the stacks and Junior's with me. Carter…just keep doing what your doing." There were four collective 'Roger's' directed at Edgar. He glanced at Carter in time to see her nod. If it were any one else he would have asked again, waiting for the correct response, but he dropped it and looked away, heading towards the crane controls with Jake right behind him.

"Hey Edgar?" Jake asked. Edgar looked at him,

"Yeah?" he asked, looking at the boys who were climbing up the stacks. Jake sensed that Edgar didn't want to talk, so he muttered a 'never mind' and walked towards the launcher so that he could guide the pot when Edgar brought it down with the crane. Edgar watched him for a minute before turning his attention yet again, back to the boys on the stacks. He was pretty sure that Jake was going to ask about Carter, and he was glad he didn't, because he wasn't sure what he would have said.

So Edgar concentrated on bringing down the pot safely, making sure he didn't hit the guys on the stacks or drop it on Jake or Carter. As Jake pushed the pot on the launcher, Edgar secured it with the dogs. Jake opened up the doors and pulled out the lines, and Carter slid in, passing the hook through the pot up to Jake who grabbed it. She quickly slid out and pulled down the door, both her and Jake closing it tightly. Sig came out and stood next to Edgar, squinting at Jake and Carter.

"Did you teach her how to work like that in the little time you had with her?" he asked. Edgar shook his head,

"I didn't even talk to her at all about anything on deck. She did that all on her own." He replied. Sig shook his head,

"I heard she was good, but I didn't know she was THIS good." He said. Edgar glanced at him,

"I wonder where she learned to do all this." He said. Sig shrugged his shoulders and walked back into the wheelhouse.

Jake watched as Carter prepped bait bag after bait bag. He looked up at Matt who was still untying the next pot. He had a little time, so he went over to her.

"Hey." Carter jumped and looked at him, but nodded and went back to work. Jake stood next to her and began to help her. She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes and said nothing.

Edgar looked for Jake, ready to bring down the next pot,

"Hey! Junior!" Jake dropped what he was doing and hurried back to the launcher, guiding the pot down onto it yet again, Carter and him repeating the process of setting it up.

For hours the crew fell into a routine. They were getting things done faster than they ever had before, and by the time they had cleared all the pots off the deck, they were all surprised.

"Was it just me, or did that fell like a walk in the park?" Matt asked as they all circled up. Edgar rolled his eyes, but both Jake and Nick nodded their heads laughing. The whole time, Carter had said nothing, and they had said nothing to her. They hadn't needed to. Throughout the entire day, she had never fallen behind once. In fact, she had managed to stay ahead of them. The entire crew was impressed. Matt swung his arm around her shoulder. Edgar was about to tell him not to, but all Carter did was flinch and bite her lip. She didn't jerk away, she didn't push; she looked uncomfortable, but she seamed to stay in control. Edgar frowned but didn't say anything, not wanting to draw attention. He just watched her.

"You know, you're actually a pretty decent greenhorn…just don't tell Sig we told you that." Matt said winking at her. Carter smiled,

"Okay." She said nervously, still wary of the arm he had slung over her shoulders.

"You might even be better than Jake was." He said, smirking in Jake's direction. Jake scowled and flipped him off, making the entire crew laugh. Even Carter smiled softly.

"Alright guys," Edgar said. "Lets go inside and eat and get some rest. It's gonna be real fun when we get to start hauling these." Matt looked at him,

"You're idea of fun is screwed up, dude." He said. Edgar glared at him. Matt just shrugged and walked with everyone else as they walked inside. Without even realizing it, Edgar ended up falling into step with Carter. She looked up at him from under her blonde bangs and he looked back down at her. He stopped and crossed his arms. Carter stopped, but chose to look at the deck boards instead of him.

"Who did you learn all this from? Because I swear, the way you work reminds me of someone." Carter shrugged her shoulder. Edgar kept pushing,

"I mean, what's your story? Tell me about yourself. I've got to feel like I know you if you're going to be working on this boat." Carter looked at him,

"Why do you even care?" she asked. Edgar shrugged,

"I don't really, but it's nice to know a few things about the person sharing your stateroom." Carter looked at him, wanting him to just leave her alone and let it go and mind his own business. But the look in his eyes told her that he wasn't going to stop trying.

"What do you want to know?" she asked. Edgar frowned, he had expected to fight about it or at least walk away from him. Edgar motioned for her to follow him. Carter hesitated, but fell behind him, walking towards the rail. Edgar leaned against the rail and looked out at the black abyss. In the distance, he could see the light of a boat, but it was the only one around them.

"Where are you from?" he asked, deciding he better ease into the bigger questions. Carter looked up at him,

"Um…I'm from Seattle." She said. Edgar raised his eyebrow,

"Really?" he asked. Carter nodded nervously. "Do you like it there." Carter nodded again. Edgar smiled, "Why don't you ever talk?" he asked.

"I talk." She said, looking back at him. Edgar shook his head,

"Only when you get mad or annoyed…which is probably the reason why you only talk to me…no one else annoys you do they?" Carter tilted her head to the side,

"Your not annoying." She said softly. Edgar chuckled and looked back out to the water.

"So…did you know my dad?" he asked. Carter didn't say anything; she just looked out at the water, refusing to look at him. Edgar turned back to her, "You did, didn't you?" Carter sighed,

"Yes." She answered. Edgar smiled,

"He taught you how to do all this didn't he?" Carter looked at him and nodded softly. Edgar let out a deep breath,

"What was he like when you knew him." He asked, Carter shrugged, wondering why he was even asking these questions. As if he was reading her thoughts, he added,

"I only seem to remember him in his last couple of months…I cant remember the strong independent man that I knew he was…all I can remember is how weak he was in those last months…" he trailed off. Carter's heart went out for him,

"He was strict." She said, "He was all about the work and tough love. He talked about his family all the time, but knew when it was time to be serious. He almost never laughed, but when he did, everyone knew he was happy. He smoked cigarettes like drinking water, his eating habits sucked and he barely got any sleep, but he never lost his cool…He was a good man." Carter finished. Edgar smiled sadly,

"Thank you." He said. Carter nodded and began to turn around, wanting to go back inside to the warmth of her bed, but Edgar stopped her and pulled her to him, his lips lightly brushing her lips, not wanting to scare her off.

Carter's eyes widened. She wanted to turn away, to push him away, to get away from his hands, but she was completely paralyzed. Edgar pulled away and looked down at her as she began to shake nervously. He looked deep in her eyes, searching for an answer,

"What happened to you to make you so afraid." He asked, whispering so quietly, she could barely hear him. Carter eyes began to water, and the tears began to stream slowly down her face. She shook her head quickly,

"I…I…I can't…please…" she stuttered, pulling away. Edgars grip on her loosened as she began to back away,

"…I just can't." she whispered as she turned away from him and steadily walked back inside, leaving Edgar standing alone yet again, only this time he wasn't confused or surprised, he was concerned…and there was this feeling in his chest that he wasn't familiar with, and he didn't like it.

* * *

And there you have it, the next chapter of this one. Just let me know what you think of it! Haha and once again, I'm sorry for taking so long to update anything.

I'm currently finishing up the next chapter of Open Season, I just have to type it up now :/

Also, I'm working on this other story, and I wonder if you guys would like it: it's about Edgar and his daughter Riley, learning how to cope and get along after his wife dies. You know….all that drama and stuff, so if you review this story, let me know if you think that would be a good idea or not :) Okay thanks!!!! 3


	4. Authors Note

**Authors Note**

So today, I wrote a new Chapter for Still Breathing and Open Season.

I know it's been SOOOO long, but I just felt like finishing the stories.

So starting this week, I will try to upload a new chapter each week so that I can finish them.

So all of you who keep reading this and waiting…The waiting will stop soon!

You have something to look forward!

I am very sorry that I haven't updated in a WHILE!

Thank you for still waiting .

I will start updating on Wednesday after my test!


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